It begins with a C
by Steph-Schell
Summary: Hatter got Alice a Christmas gift


Alice pulled out her key and let herself into Hatter's apartment. They had been together since he'd come back from Wonderland three months ago. Almost every one, including Alice's mom, knew him as David. Carol thought that Hatter was a cute little couple nickname. Alice never saw a reason to correct her. She smiled as she stepped into the warm apartment. It was Christmas Eve tomorrow and so freezing out side. "Hatter," she called, "Are you here?"

"IN the other room," the familiar British voice called. "Just stay there and I'll be out in a minute." True to his word he practically appeared out of nowhere. He held up a hand over his head. "Mistletoe," he smiled.

Alice smiled. "You know you don't need mistletoe to get a kiss from me," she told him. But she leaned in for one anyway.

"Yeah, well, good tradition," Hatter told her.

"It has it's merits," she agreed. She pulled her hands from behind her back and held out a package to him. "Merry Christmas," she smiled. Hatter looked from the package to her as he took it. He opened it to reveal a black fedora. "You lost your other one coming here so I thought you might like a replacement," she explained.

Hatter flipped it around a little, trying to get a feel for it. Alice could tell he was seriously considering how well it would work for him. Finally he tried one of his more complicated tricks with it. It ended up on his head at the perfect angle. Hatter held out his hands. "Well?" he asked.

"Now you look like my Hatter," she proclaimed, kissing him again.

His eyes lit up as he remembered something. "I have a present for you," he said proudly. "Just stay right here and I'll go get it."

Alice laughed as he disappeared. Hatter was just so fun to be around. "Are you going to tell me what it is?" she wondered.

"I'll give you a clue," he decided. "It starts with a 'C' and it's not caterpillar."

"A 'c' and not caterpillar," she murmured. She thought it over for a minute. "Is it china?" she called.

Hatter stuck his head out with a confused look. "China?" he demanded. "Why would I buy you a country? How could I buy you a country?"

Alice chuckled. "Not China the country," she corrected. "_China_. Like the good china that you eat off of?"

"Oh," he blinked. "No, it's not china." Having said so he disappeared again.

"What about…. crystal?" she wondered.

"It is not crystal," he told her.

Alice couldn't imagine what it was. "What about clothing?" she asked.

"Not clothing," he stated.

"What about a chicken?" she threw out. She was really grasping at straws now.

Hatter came back both out of breath and confused. "A chicken? Who gives out live chickens?" he asked. Alice noted the white box tied with red ribbon in his hands.

"Maybe it's a dead chicken," she pointed out.

"That," he stated, "would be even stranger. It is not a chicken, live or dead, and for not guessing you owe me a kiss." Alice did as requested. "Here is your present," he said proudly.

Alice took the box with a smile and carried it over to an end table. "I dont' know if they covered this in Wonderland school but box begins with a 'b'," she teased.

"Yes thank you I know that," he told her. "It's what's inside the box."

Alice undid the bow and lifted the lid to reveal, "A cat? You got me a cat?" The cat looked young and was the same mottled color as Dana had been. It looked up at her with wide, intelligent eyes as it swished it's tail back and forth.

"Well, I remembered you saying about your other one and all...." he trailed off. "You don't have to keep him. He can go back if you want."

Alice pulled the cat out and snuggled up to him. "Are you kidding me? I am totally keeping him," she stated. "Every Alice needs her Cheshire cat, doesn't she?"

"Is that what your going to call him?" Hatter asked. "Cheshire?"

Alice looked at the cat. "I think so," she decided. "What about you? Do you like having Cheshire for a name?" The cat meowed. "Cheshire it is then." She grinned at Hatter. "Thank you," she said.

"What for the cat?" he asked.

"No, for more than that. For...for everything you've done. Including the cat."


End file.
